Artificial bait.



- WHnesses F. A. ALGER.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. I914.

Patented May 9, 1916.

fiffar/vqi THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH co., NNNNNNNNNNNNNN c.

FRANKLIN- A. ALGER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

Application filed September 8,1914.

7 '0 all-w 7mm it may concern: I

Be it known that I, 'FRANKLIN A. Andra, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have in vented a certain new, useful, and Improved Artificial Bait, of which the following is a specification, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, fully discloses a complete and perative embodiment of the invention, such that others may understand the construction and operation of the same. I

This invention is concerned-with artificial. baits, particularly for use in casting, and it is the object of this invention to provide a bait ofthis character which may be used in waters in whichweeds, grasses and the like are growing and which will bepracticaljly free from trouble sofar as the liability of ,the hooks catching on the weeds and the like are concerned, yet which will not be so guarded that the hooks are inefiective to hook and retain fish once they have struck at the bait. I

Furthermore the bait provided'in this in vention is durable and'eiiicient, being formed of few parts not likely to break or get out of order as will appear upon understanding being had of the construction illustrated in the drawings in which,

Figure l is aside elevation of my improved bait. Fig. 2 is a central longitudi nal section thereof. Fig. 3'isa' plan iew of the bait. Fig. 4: is a view from under neath said bait. Fig. 5 is a rearendjview v thereon I s y dinnlacr reference numerals refer to similar parts throughort the several views.

:In the construction of the bait illustrated t'hereis provided a body 1 of wood not sub ject especially to the action'of water, for instance, cedar wood maybe used, said body being rounded and tapered from its front end toward the rear as best shown in the plan View, Fig. 3. The forward portion of the body is somewhat thicker-than the rear portion there being formed an abrupt shoulder at 2- substantially mi'dway'the length of the body and on the under sidethereof at the junction of the portions of the body of differentwidth's. A Secured-centrally of the Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented May a, mic.

Serial No. 880,659.

body on the under side and immediately back of the shoulder is a weight 3 which may be attached to the body by any suitable permanent fastening means such as the screw 4t, the position of the weight being such that the center of gravity of the device is back of and below the actual central point of the body. it will be noted that this weight is of greatest width where it lies adjacent the body tapering therefrom outwardly. A. staple 5 is permanently attached at the front end of the body to which the line may be socured in use of the bait as will be clear.

To the under side of the body 1 at either side of the front end of the weight 3 are attached the screws 6 being driven into the body so that the heads are practically in the same plane as the underside of the thicker portion of the body this leaving the shan {S of the screws projecting downwarda distance below the bottom of the thinner portion of the body. The eyes 7 of two hooks 8 are positioned to receive the shanks of said screws 6, being loosely mounted thereon so that the hooks will have considerable free dom of movement and may readily move upward at, their rear ends into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. Secured to the under side of the body 1 at the rear edge thereof is a plate 9 of thin metal which has struck therefrom theears 10 as shown to serve as bearings for the pivotal mounting of the yokes 11, said yokes, two'in number,

being formed from wire into long ill-shaped structures with the upper ends of the turned outwardly to seat in the bearings, said ll-shaped members passing around the hooks '8 a distance back of their pivotal mounts thereby supporting them against too far downward movement, it being designed. that the points of the hooks shall normally lie immediately back of the rear end of the body as shown in full linesin Fig. 1;

In the use of my artificial bait, it is secured at the end of a line by attachment to the staple 5 and cast into the water, the line being reeled in the usual. manner. It will be clear that by reason of the tapered front end and outwardly extending sides of the body toward the rear that as the bait is drawn through the water, any weeds or other slight obstructions willbeprishedto either side and will not approach the pointed ends of the hooks to be caught thereby. Also it will be seen that the pointed ends of the hooksposition'ed back of the rear end of the body will be guarded against weeds or other similar fouling elements and will not normally become entangled therewith. The thicker front portion of the body permitting the lower bottom plane ofv the lower side of said front portion also serves as a protection against the weight, members 11 and the hooks becoming caught and entangled with weeds, it being apparent that as the bait is throwninto the water, its slightly greater specific gravity causing it to sink and when it is'reeled in, the position of the center of gravity causing the rear portion of the bait to drop lower than the front portion so that the bodyof the bait is inclined up wardly toward its front end as it is drawn through the water. It will'also be clear that the weight will always cause the bait as it strikes the water, to assume its proper position,-that is,-with the weight beneath the bodyrl so that the body will be properly;

positioned to guard the hooks against entanglement with weeds, grasses and the like. Furthermore the formation of the bait with its wide rear endwill, as it is drawn over the surface of the water, cause an eddy which will turn thehooks in toward each otherdi'rectly back offthe center of the body.

As the bait is drawn through the water, it

attracts the attention of fish, and on striking at the bait by the fish, if the hooks were held firmly in the full line position shown in Fig; 1, it would bepractically impossible to hook the fish owingto the position of the hooks back ofthe body 1. -'But the hooks being pivotallymounted, as the jaws close on the bait, the hooks will be elevate'd'into the dotted line position shown in Fig. l and in position for easily hooking the fish. It will be noted that the rear portion of the baitis proe vided with a series of dots 12. These dots are of bright colors and attract attention so that ways at the rear end of the bait,-the jaws of the fish closing onthe bait and elevating the hooks into hooking position. With a large fish, the jaws may engage in front of the yokes 11 but this is not material as the pivotalmount of such yokes readily permits the elevation not only of the hooks but of the yokes also whereif the yokes were rigid with I the body the jaws of thefish might not be permitted to close sufficiently to cause the elevation of the hooks to proper position. Also from the tapered formation of the weight, as'the hooks rise, they are forced outwardly away from each other in this manner separating the hooks to form two distinct and sepa-' rated devices for catching a fish at different I portions of the mouth.

Letters Patent is,-

I have shown two hooks, but it is evident that the number may be varied at will.

7 Also various other minor changes may be resorted to without departing from my invention. The bait may be painted any desired color both for purposes of preservation of the bait and for attracting fish. The invention is not'limited to the precise structure shown but comprehends all modifications in structure falling within the scope of the appended claims defining the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I clalm as new and desire to secure by 1. In an artificial bait, a bodycomprising a widened rear portion and tapered front portion, and a pair of hooks pivotally attached to the underside of the body with weight and opening upward, the pointed ends of said hooks normally lying a short distance back of the rear end of the. body and between the upper and lower sides there of but movable above the upper side of the body.

3. In an of a'relatively thicker and pointed front portion and a thinner and widened rear portion,

artificial bait, body comprised an upwardly tapered weight attached to the e underside of the body back of the thicker portion, a hook pivotally attached at'either side of the weight to the underside of the body and extendingback of'the rear end thereof, said hooks having the pointed ends thereof normally lying 'directlyto the rear of the body spaced a short distance therefrom and below the upper side thereof, and

pivotallymounted U-shaped yokes secured to the underside of the body through which the hooks pass, substantially as described.

4. In an artificial bait, a body comprised V of a widened rear portion and tapered front portion, a hook pivotally attached to the under side of the'body, and a pivotally mounted yoke embracing and supporting the hook and retaining. it against downward movement with the pointed end-thereof ly-' ing directly backof the rear end of the body at a point between the upper and lower sides thereof.

- 5'. In an artificial bait, a body comprised of a widened rear portion and tapered front portion, a weightsecured'midway between the sides of the body and to the under side thereof, a hook pivotally attached to' the under side of the body at each side of the Weight, and a yoke for each hook pivotally In testimony whereof, I have hereunto afattached to the under side of the body at the fixed my signature in the presence of two rear portion thereof said yokes supporting Witnesses.

the hooks against downward movement be- FRANKLIN A. ALGER. 5 yond a predetermined position With the Witnesses:

points thereof directly to the rear of the FRANK E. LIVERANQE, J12,

body and below the upper side thereof. L. E. CARROLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five eents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

